One-man battery

Tigers catcher moonlights on the mound

STOCKTON - The season hasn't played out as planned for Jason Taasaas, but the junior has become a steady force behind the plate for the Pacific baseball team and an intriguing option on the mound for coach Ed Sprague.

STOCKTON - The season hasn't played out as planned for Jason Taasaas, but the junior has become a steady force behind the plate for the Pacific baseball team and an intriguing option on the mound for coach Ed Sprague.

After spending his first two seasons as Pacific's starting catcher, Taasaas was planning to be a pitcher this season, but presumed catcher Riley Drongensen being ruled academically ineligible thrust Taasaas back to his usual spot. Taasaas will be the starting catcher this weekend when the Tigers (9-18, 2-4 Big West Conference) travel to UC Riverside (13-13, 4-4) for a three-game series beginning at 6 p.m. today.

Taasaas is hitting a career-best .276 with a home run and 10 RBI this season and has a 1.59 ERA in 52/3 innings with seven strikeouts.

"He's willing to catch three days in a row and pitch nine innings on Tuesday - that's just his mentality, but we have to manage that," Sprague said. "His legs are going to wear down as the season goes on, but we're trying to find spots for him to pitch."

Taasaas said it wasn't until January when the coaching staff alerted him about still being the starting catcher. Taasaas said he has fun with pitching and wants to keep trying it, but he's fine with how things have played out.

"I like my role this year, but I'm willing to do whatever the team needs," Taasaas said. "I don't want to give up on catching and hitting, because I've done it my entire life and I like being back there and leading the team."

Sprague said game-calling and defense have been Taasaas' strengths since he was a freshman, and pitcher Michael Benson said it's like having another coach on the field.

"I like him behind the plate because he presents a big target and he lets me know anything I might be doing wrong on the mound," Benson said. "He has a great mind for the game."

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Taasaas hit just .205 as a freshman before jumping up to .255 as a sophomore. Those low numbers prompted Sprague to consider him as a pitcher, which Taasaas hadn't done since his senior year at Elk Grove-Franklin High. Taasaas throws a fastball that ranges up to 93 mph, plus a curveball and a changeup, both of which are works in progress.

"He's just playing country hardball, just daring guys to hit it," Sprague said. "He's not a pitcher, more of a competitor."

Sprague said he hasn't abandoned the idea of converting Taasaas into a pitcher next season and feels his velocity could get him a look in professional baseball if he refines the other aspects of pitching. Taasaas said that would be a dream come true, but he's more focused on getting his degree in business finance by May 2014.

Sprague said Taasaas has made himself more valuable by improving as a hitter this season. The coach said Taasaas got in his own way the first two seasons by overthinking at-bats instead of being aggressive.

"I have gotten a lot more comfortable up there," Taasaas said. "Each year you learn a lot more and I've been able to get myself right mentally and I'm not missing hittable pitches anymore."